Sah D’Simone is a meditation teacher, bestselling author, transformational speaker and coach. Born in Brazil, Sah came to the U.S. at the age of 16, working for over a decade in the fashion industry, becoming the co-founder and creative director of Bullett Magazine. Despite his immense success, the high stakes culture of the fashion industry led Sah down a path of addiction and depression, eventually opening the doorway to a different way of life.

Jan Wiese is a wife, mother of two, and teacher, who left the classroom to stay at home when her first child was born.  Her role as stay at home mom expanded to include that of caregiver when her daughter Lucy was diagnosed with a rare and complex disease at age three.

Emily Sause is a New York-born and California bred creative with a penchant for play and a warm curiosity toward life. After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Political Science, Emily put her focus on peace and conflict studies on the back burner while exploring different post-grad opportunities. While delving into varied experiences ranging from experiential design and art installations, to small business management and private equity, Emily gathered information that was integral in helping form her multidisciplinary approach to life.

Joseph DiNardo, Esq. is the CEO, director, and founder of Counsel Financial and author of A Letter to My Wife, an intimate story of love found and lost with his late wife, Marcia. Prior to founding Counsel Financial in 2000, Joe practiced mass tort and personal injury law for over 26 years, securing multi-million dollar, high-profile settlements or awards on cases tried to verdict. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School and has been featured several times in Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.

Jen Pastiloff travels the world with her unique workshop “On Being Human,” a hybrid of yoga related movement, writing, sharing out loud, letting the snot fly, and the occasional dance party. Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, calls Jen “a conduit of awakenings.” Jen has been featured on Good Morning America, New York Magazine, Health Magazine, CBS News and more for her unique style of teaching, which she has taught to thousands of women in sold-out workshops all over the world. Bring a journal, and open heart and the willingness to grow open and stronger for her workshops.

Lauren Chiarello is the founder of Chi Chi Life, which melds her passions: fitness, event production + fundraising, corporate wellness + cancer advocacy.  A graduate from Villanova University with a degree in Accounting + Marketing, Lauren has 12+ years of experience fundraising + producing events for non-profits, for-profits + agencies — including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Jodie Cariss is the founder and Creative Director of Self Space and www.carisscreative.co.uk. She is a Therapist with over 15 years experience in the field and a Tavistock trained executive coach. She has a direct and dynamic approach to her practice and a deeply empathic and approachable manner to the way she works. She is a Sesame trained drama and movement therapist and uses a mixture of tools in her practice.She began her career as a children’s presenter working for many years in the industry.

Anthony J. Piccione is an award-winning playwright, independent theatre producer, screenwriter, critic, essayist, poet and occasional actor based in New York City. Born in Rochester, New York and raised in Connecticut, Piccione’s eclectic canon of one-acts have been produced at NYC venues such as the Hudson Guild Theatre, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, Midtown International Theatre Festival, and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, as well as regional venues such as Playhouse on Park, Hole in the Wall Theatre, the Windsor Art Center, and Windham Theatre Guild.

Amy Grantham is an artist who lives and works in Manhattan. She likes to work in various mediums which include: collage, photography, painting, political art, writing, album design, and whatever else she feels like creating in the moment. She doesn’t like to be limited to only one way of expressing herself because art is all about using whatever means she has available to her to share how she is feeling or how she feels about a certain subject.

A member of the Akwesasne Kenien’kehá:ka (St. Regis Mohawk Tribe), Aaron John Curtis is an author, blogger, bookseller, and avid reader. He wrote a monthly column called “Book Junky” for Moxxi Magazine and also wrote essays and reviews for Miami blog collective The Heat Lightning.  His essay “Past the Flesh” appeared in The Sun Sentinel’s City Link Magazine, and his love letter to Florida – “It Grows on You” – was published in World Book Night’s first ebook.

Mallory Gothelf was diagnosed with general anxiety and major depressive disorder at age fifteen after her parents brought her to the emergency room on Christmas day. At that age, Mallory didn’t realize that managing and recovering from her illness would be a long journey (and not just a brief hospital stay) or that it would ignite her passion for giving back and being a voice for others.

Margie Strauss is a recognized industry expert in the fields of advertising, branding, public relations and media. Her passion for staffing, built on her 25 years of experience, makes her an integral part of the founding partnership of CitiStaffing. Prior to her career in staffing, Margie worked in the global public relations firm, Burson Marsteller, in the areas of consumer PR, crisis management, and new business development. Margie’s real passion is working closely with candidates to assist them in developing their career path.

Matt is the Managing Director of Blue Sky Partners. He has spent his entire career in the organization management industry, gaining valuable experience as executive director of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce and Progress Texas. Beyond his time in the non-profit space, Matt has successfully launched four companies — a regional homes tour (Weird Homes Tour), a statewide advocacy non-profit in Texas (Progress Texas), and an international festival focused on entrepreneurship (Small Business Festival).

Tiffany Dyba is a dedicated Career Coach & Consultant based in New York City. She enjoys helping people recognize their professional calling while helping them to take risks. Tiffany has a strong background in leadership and recruitment from companies such as Tiffany & Co and Burberry. As a Consultant, she works with organizations to help identify and attract top talent so they can effectively grow their business. Tiffany was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer in 2018 and has been working to create awareness for women diagnosed under the age of 40.

In this bonus episode, Danielle Diamond shares a powerful essay, Behind Closed Doors, about an early memory of her mom, who had bipolar disorder and depression. This essay is poignant, honest, and punctuated with humor. It provides a window into the challenging role that loved ones navigate when caring for those with invisible illness, as well as the realities experienced by those who have them.

Prior to becoming a certified teacher, Danielle stumbled upon yoga back in 1996 as a producer for MTV. When she turned 40, she realized that while years of practicing Vinyasa had helped her body feel better than ever, her mind and body still needed more. This inspired her to develop her Xen Strength Method, a modern twist on yoga that combines meditation, yoga and strength training.

Phoebe Lapine is a food and health writer, gluten-free chef, wellness expert, culinary instructor, Hashimoto’s advocate and speaker, born and raised in New York City, where she continues to live and eat. On her award-winning blog, Feed Me Phoebe, she shares recipes for healthy comfort food and insights about balanced lifestyle choices beyond what’s on your plate.

Carly Alterman is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. She grew up in South Salem, New York, and is currently living at home while studying for the MCAT. She plans to apply to medical school after exploring the medical field during her two gap years.  Now here’s Carly.